After five One Day matches and two four-day unofficial Tests, West Indies A and India A will today (Tuesday, August 6) meet to contest the third and final Test, which bowls off at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy from 9:30 hours local time.
Jermaine Blackwood has scored the most runs for West Indies A thus far
India A have dominated these encounters, thus far registering a 4-1 win in the One Day series and clinching the Test series 2-0 with one match still to go. In the two unofficial Tests played thus far, India’s Priyank Panchal has racked up 180 runs at an average of 45. He has a high score of 68, with two half-centuries to his name.
No batsman has hitherto converted any start into a century, but with the Test series between the senior teams of the West Indies and India looming, batsmen would be keen on signing off with a triple-figure score.
All-rounder Shivam Dube is second on the batting charts with 154 runs to his name, having scored two half-centuries.
Chemar Holder is the leading wicket-taker in the series
Jamaican Jermaine Blackwood is the leading scorer for the West Indies ‘A’, with 129 runs to his name, scored at an average of 32.2, with one half-century on record.
Rahkeem Cornwall, who is staking a claim for a Test call-up, has also been among the runs, with 123 runs to his credit. Cornwall has been an exceptional performer at the Regional 4-Day level, and has been a constant member of the A Team. He has two half-centuries in this series, and has an average of 41 with the bat.
West Indies A Team captain Shamarh Brooks has also registered two half-centuries, and has 118 runs to his name.
Montcin Hodge has 117 runs to his name.
In the bowling department, left-arm spinner Shabaz Nadeem has taken 10 wickets in one match, while West Indies A team player and former Under-19 seamer Chemar Holder has taken 10 wickets in two matches, having picked up seven wickets in the second match.
India’s Mohammed Siraj has nine wickets to his credit, while Krishanapa Gowtam has recorded six. Most of these players will be hungry to sign off this A Team series in a manner that would merit a Test call-up.
West Indies and India will play two Test matches, starting from August 22. The India A team would be chosen from: Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Hanuma Vihari(c), Anmolpreet Singh, Srikar Bharat(w), Shivam Dube, Krishnappa Gowtham, Mayank Markande, Mohammed Siraj, Sandeep Warrier, Shardul Thakur, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha, Avesh Khan, Shahbaz Nadeem, and Umesh Yadav.
The West Indies A Team would be drawn from: Kraigg Brathwaite(c), Montcin Hodge, Shamarh Brooks, Sunil Ambris, Jermaine Blackwood, Shane Dowrich(w), Raymon Reifer, Rahkeem Cornwall, Romario Shepherd, Jomel Warrican, Chemar Holder, Shermon Lewis, Miguel Cummins, Jahmar Hamilton, and Jeremy Solozano. (Brandon Corlette)
